Entrepreneur Tim Ferriss even emphasizes the need to “focus on being productive rather than being busy”. So how to do that?
1. Meditation is key
When Bill Gates was young, he considered meditation the “interesting thing about reincarnation.” But now the 67-year-old billionaire is discovering that meditation is an exercise for the mind, similar to the way we train our muscles during exercise. He and his ex-wife Melinda both exercise consistently.
Granted, no expert, but Bill Gates usually meditates 2-3 times a week, about 10 minutes at a time. Because of this, the business magnate learned to pay attention to the thoughts in his head.
Bill Gates claims that meditation helps him improve concentration, keep the brain young, reduce stress and improve memory.
Billionaire Bill Gates. Photo: GQ India.
2. Know when to say ‘no’
Throughout their illustrious careers, Warren Buffet and the late Steve Jobs have both adhered to the principle of knowing when to say “no.”
“Focusing means saying no to hundreds of other great ideas,” Jobs told people to focus their energies on the main idea they’re working on.
In keeping with this philosophy, Buffett has said, “The difference between successful people and truly successful people is the ability to say ‘no’ to almost anything that happens.”
‘Safety god’ Warren Buffett believes that knowing how to say ‘no’ helps him focus on important work. Photo: GQ India.
3. Get enough sleep
Studies have shown that sleep deprivation affects memory, alertness, decision making and problem solving. They all play an important role in optimizing labor productivity.
During sleep, the body makes hormones that help the immune system fight infection. A good night’s sleep helps you not to get sick and to get back to health quickly. At the same time, sleep improves mental health, mood and brain function.
Bill Gates said he only needs 7 hours of sleep, Jeff Bezos needs 9 hours. Meanwhile, the world’s richest billionaire Elon Musk sleeps 6-7 hours a night.
Billionaire Elon Musk sleeps 6-7 hours a night. Photo: GQ India.
4. Always carry a notebook with you
British billionaire Richard Branson is always seen with a notebook. He used to take notes of everything. From ideas to suggestions, feedback or contact details…
“When I listen to someone, I try to write down the points that interest me or worry me the most. Then I can go back to these notes and go through them,” said the 72-year-old billionaire. share age.
According to Branson, this approach increases everyone’s productivity. In the digital age, you can replace your notebook with a notepad in your smartphone.
Billionaire Richard Branson always carries a notebook with him. Photo: Inc.
5. Read, Read and Read
If you want to maximize your productivity, you need to make time to read. It is estimated that Warren Buffett spends 5-6 hours a day reading 5 newspapers and 500 pages of company reports. Bill Gates regularly recommends good titles based on his favorite books. Gates even said he reads 50 books a year.
Mark Zuckerberg says he tries to read at least one book every two weeks. Meanwhile, Mark Cuban spends more than 3 hours every day reading a good book. Cuban also attributes his early career success to reading.
Mark Cuban agrees that reading is one of the keys to success. Photo: CNBC.
6. Make quick decisions
Jeff Bezos firmly believes that “speed matters in business”. If you make decisions too quickly, you can harm yourself or the company. If it is too slow, it may fail. That’s why the founder of Amazon came up with the 70% rule.
In his 2016 letter to shareholders, he wrote: “Most decisions should probably be made with about 70% of the information you would expect. If you wait 90%, you are probably in the running in most cases. slowly”.
Before any problem, make a decision when you have 70% of the information needed to come to a conclusion. Bezos explains that high-quality decisions require 90% of the necessary information. However, the disadvantage of reaching 90% is that it takes a long time.
Jeff Bezos believes that opportunities are lost when we spend too much time making decisions. Photo: Getty Images.
Source: GQ India
